An Unexpected Mission
by mbravesgirl7
Summary: Tsunade gives Shikamaru and Temari for a special mission - escort a young noble to her father at a village summit. With Temari leading the team and teaching Shikamaru the basics of dating for his undercover work, what could go wrong? Can Shikamaru handle Temari's transformation and his own? Danger lurks everywhere, but love blooms from two unsuspecting nin.
1. Chapter 1

**(AN) Hi, everyone! This is my first** _ **Naruto**_ **fanfic because I normally write for** _ **Bleach,**_ **so I hope I captured all the characters correctly. I had to show a little love for my favorite couple in the series. Just to let you know, I answer all my reviews. If you are signed in, I'll PM you, and if you are a guest, I will post a response at the end of the chapter.**

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Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day out with plenty of clouds in the sky! Shikamaru took advantage of his day off as he lay on his back watching the fluffy pieces of heaven. His whole plan was to act like his life hasn't gone awry with all of this team leading and paperwork. Heavens knew what type of mission the Hokage would give him next.

After a few minutes, Shikamaru felt like something off for some reason. He stared at the clouds trying to figure out what exactly was missing about this abnormally quiet day. All of a sudden, it came to him. The loud, brash sand kunoichi that he was always escorting around the village was missing from his side, but she was back with her people in Sunagakure right now. A sigh escaped his lips, "Better enjoy it while I can." He said to himself.

Unfortunately, his carefully planned peace didn't last long as Sakura appeared before him about an hour later. "Hey, Shikamaru! Lady Tsunade wants to see you!" Shikamaru raised a raven eyebrow at the pink haired kunoichi, who was attempting not to smile. She knew what was in store for the raising shinobi.

"What a drag. The clouds were just getting good." Shikamaru mumbled in a bored voice before he got up to follow Sakura back to her mentor's office.

Shortly, the two arrived at the Hokage's office. "Lady Hokage." Shikamaru greeted the legendary sannin as she sat behind her desk looking smug, which unnerved the Nara heir. It was never a good thing when she had THAT look on her face.

"Shikamaru, thank you for being punctual unlike some other people…" Tsunade said as she glared at the room's latest arrive. Kakashi was sitting in the window with the latest Icha Icha novel on the in his hand looking at the trio. Sakura gave her former sensei a wave and quietly slipped out the door. She didn't want to see Tsunade madder than normal since Kakashi blotched their plan.

"Hello, Lady Hokage!" Kakashi offered her a crinkled one eyed smile.

"You're late!" Tsunade complained as she glared daggers at the man. He was supposed to be here before her two victims arrived, but like always, he was late as usual.

"I got lost on the path of life." The Copy Ninja replied causing Shikamaru wonder if the white-haired shinobi had a death wish. Tsunade was famous for her skills as well as her hot temperament.

Their decision was cut short when they hear a knock on the door. "Come in!" Tsunade called out. Seeing the new comer, Shikamaru just thought his day couldn't get worse… or better. It depended on the Sand kunoichi's mood.

Placing a bored look on his face, Shikamaru asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be away for months this time."

A broad evil smile was crossed Tsunade's face as she watched one of the best shinobi squirm all because of a woman. Granted, the poor boy didn't know his feelings yet, but Tsunade loved playing matchmaker with people who refused to acknowledge their feelings for one another.

"Apparently, Lady Hokage believed that you needed my help for a mission, Nara. Why does it seem that I am always saving your ass? Or do you get into so much trouble because you miss me?" Temari provoked the annoyed genius.

If Temari was here aggravating him already, then this mission was going to be a dozy, Shikamaru determined. A loud, exasperated sigh escaped his lips. "Care to enlighten me why I need your help your help?" He asked the young blonde.

Before Temari could reply, Tsunade butted in, "Temari here is gracious enough to train you for a mission. Once you complete it, Choji, Temari, and you shall be on your way to the Land of Tea." Tsunade replied in an amused voice.

"Why would I ever want to be trained by her?" He asked as the blonde kunoichi just grinned at him, loving the Hokage's support. "Besides, where will Ino be? Why can't she 'train' me?" The raven-haired man asked concerned about their usual teammate.

"Not that it matters to you, but she and Sakura are needed at the hospital due to the flu outbreak." Tsunade stated as she leveled his glaze on the young man. "Do you have any other problem, Shikamaru?" The Hokage asked in a tone that was not to be argued with.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Shikamaru replied, "No, ma'am."

Temari remained quiet as she watched the exchange between the two. Shikamaru was in for a rude awakening if he didn't think that he'd have to work on the mission. Her training was going to be bothersome, like most things to the shinobi.

Watching from his perch, Kakashi thought about interrupting the trio, but he wanted to see how the scene played out. Two people who wouldn't admit their attraction to one another, combine with their explosive chemistry equaled with a story worthy of Jiraiya's next novel!

"Kakashi…" The Copy Ninja's attention went to the Hokage. She had an envelope in her hand. "Here are your mission details along with a side mission. I would like you to report your findings to me as soon as possible."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Kakashi grabbed the envelope and disappeared out of the window.

With Kakashi out of the way, Tsunade turned to face the two nin before her. "As for your mission, it's slightly unusual. Shikamaru, you, Choji, and Temari are going to the Land of Tea to provide an escort and date for a young noble. Our client is worried that his daughter will be kidnapped, but he does not want to alert her to the threat; therefore, he has asked us to provide our brightest shinobi for the job."

"You're kidding me, right, Lady Hokage? When did we get into the business of providing dates?" The genius asked, slightly confused as to why he had to be the date.

Ignoring his question, Tsunade continued, "Temari is taking point on the mission. You and Choji will answer to her since she is familiar with the life style as well as acquaintance of the client. She is going to teach you how to have a proper date with the noble and to polish up your skills as a gentleman. Besides, the mission will help you in prove your interactions with women. Think of it as an escort mission with a dash of fun!" The Hokage refrained from snickering at Shikamaru's annoyed face.

A small tick appeared on Shikamaru's forehead when he could tell the blonde Sand ninja was trying to hold in her laughter. "What is Choji's part in the mission?"

With a straight face, Tsunade told him, "Choji will be Temari's escort and body guard. But until then, you have to practice date Temari for this plan to work."

Shikamaru's brain cut off at the word 'date'. What irked him the most was how his body reacted to the idea of dating Temari. His heartbeat rapidly at the thought of getting stuck in close proximately with the sand ninja for a long amount of time. It wasn't unusual for them to be together, but dating, even fake dating, was a whole new aspect to their dynamic. . Didn't Tsunade had to know Temari would kill him if they were together without supervision?

'Besides, who would really want to date that troublesome woman?' Shikamaru asked himself as he set his glaze on the blonde nin talking to the Hokage at the moment. He heart began to return back to normal. Temari was strong, stubborn, and scary. What possessed him to always hang out with her was beyond his imagination. 'Maybe I am okay with spending time with her because she offers me a challenge… Nah! Women were too much work.'

Tsunade watched Shikamaru out of the corner of her eye as he argued with himself. She found it amusing that the genius was brought down by a woman, or he was at least confused as hell by her. H he couldn't have picked a better one to balance himself out.

'This is going to be a drag...' The genius thought to himself.

Grabbing a file off her desk, Tsunade handed the envelope to Temari. "Here are your mission details." Looking over at Shikamaru, she told Temari, "Make sure this one is presentable and semi-lively. He was the best one for the job given his looks and mind."

Shikamaru laughed at Tsunade's words. Without being narcissistic, he agreed with her. Naruto would probably make the girl want to kill, or at least yell at him. Kiba would be too forward. Lee would be bashful or competitive, plus let's not forget the terror that ensues if he accidentally drinks alcohol. Neij was a know-it-all. Shino hid in his pile of clothes, and he had bugs everywhere he went, which many females hated. Sai was oblivious to everything, but the job. Human interaction was not his strong suit. As for Choji, Shikamaru assumed that women would prefer his looks to one of his best friends, but he wasn't positive. His teammate had a wonderful heart, so it didn't matter.

Although, the one thing Shikamaru didn't understand though was the need to include Temari. Sure, Tsunade said that the sandy, blonde was familiar with the client, but what was the real reason she was included? It had to be important for Temari to leave her brothers and duties that the Kazekage and the council handed her recently.

Temari's voice broke through his inner thoughts. "Thank you, Lady Hokage! We won't let you down!" The Sand kunoichi promised as she slowly back away. She noticed Shikamaru staring at her so she grabbed his arm and dragged him into the hallway with her.

What the duo didn't notice was the Copy-Ninja following them from the roof as the wall. He was scribbling down notes for the Hokage. Kakashi was tasked with following them, keeping them out of trouble, but most importantly, reporting the romance to Tsunade. She would have his head if he defied her orders. Kakashi quickly jumped along the roof tops following the couple.

Without even asking where they were going, Shikamaru followed Temari throughout the village until they reached their usual cloud watching spot. He assumed she wanted this area for privacy, as well as to possibly get him to let his guard down. He never knew what was going through that troublesome woman's head, but he did want to know what went through the Hokage's for giving them such an unusual mission.

Surprising Shikamaru, Temari said, "I know you want to ask, so go ahead." She sat down underneath the large tree they generally used as a back prop.

"Explain in more detail why the Hokage picked you." It was a demand rather than a question. Now was the time for him to get his answer rather than when they were training. It was always better to be prepared for any type of surprise.

"When you say stuff like that it seems that you don't like working with me, Crybaby." The blonde teased. A slight blush crept up Shikamaru's face.

"Why do I also get stuck with you?" Shikamaru murmured in a low voice, but Temari still hear it.

"Do you have issues taking orders from a woman, Nara?" She asked in a threatening voice. The last thing he needed her to do was blow up at him.

"No. You saved my ass plenty of times to throw that excuse out the window." A smirk crossed Temari's face because she knew he was right.

"Good." They remained silent for almost an hour after their little confrontation.

"Are you ever going to tell me why you were chosen by the Hokage?" He asked.

"Since you asked so nicely this time, I guess I will." Shikamaru looked away from Temari's teasing emerald glaze. "Lady Tsunade told you that I was acquainted with the client, but she failed to mention my extreme usefulness in all this. I grew up as the Kazekage's daughter, and now, I'm the sister of one. You don't ever really know how many meeting or social events that elders will make you go to until you are in a position of power…A pawn to be manipulated." She almost spat out.

"Ah, I understand now. You are going to teach me what is expected on those many dates that you hate." He gave Temari a knowing look.

"Don't even start, Nara. You don't realize how many of them I have tried to get out of and failed unless I was about to be sent on a mission."

"Were they that bad?" He asked suspiciously. "When you're not a girlie girl, who speaks her mind, it's a nightmare. Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it while others something very convenient happens that gets you called away." Temari said with a laugh.

"Gaara and Kankuro must hate saving their older sister from dates." Shikamaru said with a laugh. He looked up at the sky to see a familiar puppet.

"Nah, we all take turns returning the favor. The elders just want to get us all settle down, and we aren't even twenty yet." A strange look crossed Temari's face, but it vanished before the genius could figure out what it meant.

Deciding a distraction was in order, Shikamaru said, "Hey, Temari, look up there!"

"What am I looking for? I don't see anything." The Sand kunoichi squinted her eyes as she tried to see what Shikamaru trying to point out.

"Awe, come on. You can't see it?" He asked, teasing her for a change.

"Shikamaru…" Temari growled at the shadow user.

"Fine, you, troublesome woman!" Without thinking he turned her head with his left hand, pointed her in the right direction, and showed her where he was looking at with his right hand.

"Oh! I see it! It looks like my Great Sickle Weasel Release!" Temari exclaimed as she turned to smile at Shikamaru, only to notice that they were just about nose to nose. She turned away quickly to hide her blush.

"Sorry…" He mumbled as they both refused to look at one another. Silence awkwardness ensured for a few moments. "So… When are we going to start this mission prepping?" Shikamaru asked.

"How about tonight? You, Choji, and I can go out to dinner and discuss the details. Then, tomorrow we can begin your training! You're a smart man, Nara, but I'll need about a week to whip you in shape!" Temari told him with a grin.

"Fine. Whatever." He scoffed at her.

To his surprise, Temari rose from her set. "Well, I better go get everything prepared! See you later, Crybaby!"

The shadow shinobi stared at the Sand kunoichi's retreating form. "What the hell did Lady Tsunade get me into?" He asked as he resumed his cloud watching position. He needed a relaxing evening before the trying week ahead.

 **I hope you enjoy the story.**

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 **Thank y'all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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Chapter 2

Much to Shikamaru's dread, Temari was in a wonderful mood when he arrived at Yakiniku. She and Choji were already sitting in a back-corner booth munching on appetizers.

"Yo, Shikamaru!" Choji greeted the black-haired man.

A smirk appeared on Shikamaru's face. "Hey, Choji." Then his dark glaze slip over to Temari. "Hello, Temari." She just rolled her eyes at him because she could hear his favorite phrase "troublesome woman" where her name was in his greeting.

"You're late, Nara," Temari retorted.

"I don't remember you telling me a time." Shikamaru countered with a raise eyebrow. Leave it to the blonde to be on his case already.

"Lesson number 1, always be punctual. It is better to arrive early than late when a female invites you out." Temari scolded. She tried to remain serious, but the look of slight shock on Shikamaru's face caused her to laugh. The Nara heir was not expecting to begin his lessons on the first non-official day.

"Did I miss something? Choji asked as he looked back and forth between the two. The tension between the two was higher than normal.

"You're eating dinner with our new mission leader." The black haired man supplied, hoping the Choji would bombard her with questions.

"Yeah, she explained everything to me already. I get to be her escort!" Choji stated proudly causing Shikamaru to withhold a groan. Temari was already taking over his team!

"Why didn't you wait for me?" Shikamaru directed his question at Temari, but he was looking at Choji. Why did he fall under the new blonde's power? Seriously, what is with this team and saying no to blonde women? Wasn't it bad enough that Ino was asking them to help with some flower deliveries when she was working, but now they had HER giving them orders.

"You were late, Nara! Why shouldn't we have a little snack and discuss business?" The kunoichi replied.

"Why do you always have to make things so complicated?"

"Why do you have to act like everything is so much trouble?"

"Uhmm…" Choji look awkwardly between the two. "Can we just eat?"

Temari and Shikamaru threw a glare Choji's way, but the blonde sighed. She knew that they had to stop before things got out of hand. "Choji's right. Sit down and enjoy the meal."

Just as the words left the blonde's mouth, a shy waitress approached the table. "Are you ready to order now that all of your party is here?" She asked. Then the waitress looked closer. "Oh, hey, Shikamaru!" She greeted the raven-haired man.

Temari throw a curious look at Shikamaru while Choji hid his face in the menu. All that went through the brunette's head was 'This is not going to be good.' Almost everyone but Shikamaru and Temari considered them a couple.

"It's be a while." Yuki said as she stared at the Nara heir.

"Hi, Yuki…" Shikamaru looked at Temari and Choji for help, but neither one was making a move to save him. Besides, Temari wanted to see how well he sank or swam with other women.

"So, what can I get you to eat?" The white-haired waitress asked with a giggle.

"Uh, when did you start working here?" Shikamaru asked since they came here all the time, and he's never seen Yuki here before. Granted, he avoids her like the plague. She was one of his few fan girls in the village not carrying about his and Temari's supposed romance.

"Uhm, today is actually my first really" Yuki shyly looked away. She wasn't admitting to her crush that she took this shift just to wait on him and his annoying friends.

"Well, best of luck then." The black-haired male told Yuki, who was blushing furiously because HE noticed her.

Choji coughed to get Yuki's attention. He wasn't too fond of Temari's calculating glare. "Can we order now?"

"Ah, yes. What would you like?" She asked once again. This time though, her question was answered in full by everyone present. With a lingering glance at Shikamaru, Yuki skipped towards the register.

"You should control your fangirls." Temari commented in a huff.

"At least someone likes me…" Shikamaru replied.

"I need sake for this." Choji mutter under his breath as he watched the blond and his black-haired friend starred off. Little did everyone know, a certain waitress was thinking the same thing.

Yuki poured the three glasses for their new drink with hidden sake in the mixture. She watched and refilled their drinks all night long till all three of them were sloshed.

Finally as Yuki placed the bill on the table, Temari gladly scooped it up before the men could beat her to the punch. "I'll be back!" She wobbled towards the register causing Shikamaru to raise a black eye brow. Was it him, or did her hips always move like that?

Sensing her window of opportunity, Yuki asked, "Oh, I have an idea! I get off in just a few minutes. How about we go get ice cream and you can walk me home afterwards?" She asked Shikamaru seductively, but the black-haired man ignored the woman since his eyes were still on the far-off figure.

"Shikamaru! Are you even listening to me?"

A sheepish look crossed his face. "Ah, Yuki, tonight wouldn't be good, but maybe another one?" He asked semi-hopefully that the girl would leave.

"Do you really mean it?"

"Yep… If I survive this mission." He muttered to himself.

Satisfied with her answer, Yuki cleared the table and wondered off while the men joined Temari.

"Thanks for the food, Temari!" Choji told her with a cheery grin on his face.

"Yeah, uh, thanks." Shikamaru said as Temari blushed slightly.

"It's no problem. I'll see you in the morning!" She told them as she headed off towards her hotel.

A few minutes later, Shikamaru caught up with her. "Did you really think that I was going to let you walk home alone?" He asked.

"Eh, I figured one night wouldn't hurt."

"Always so troublesome…" He replied as they walked in silence, sparing glances at one another when the other wasn't looking.

As soon as they arrived at Temari's apartment, she said, "So, this is good night." Shikamaru looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't. "Unless you want some tea?" She asked surprising the man.

"Yeah, tea would be nice." He replied as he shut the door. What harm could a little tea do?

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 **So how are the characters? Am I staying IC or have they gone a little to OCC?**

 **Thank y'all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Temari rolled over to her side to see a shirtless Shikamaru. "Oh, Kami! Please tell me this is all a dream?" The blonde said out loud as she raised her hand to her forehead.

"If it's your dream, then it's mine too." Shikamaru mumbled groggily.

Temari closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Please tell me nothing happened, and we wind up just sleeping on the bed."

"Well, there is a good chance of that since both of our clothes are still fully on. I imagine that we both passed out from a spiked drink, judging by the pounding in my head." The black-haired man commented as he tried to not look as flustered as he felt. For some reason, this sand nin always found troublesome ways to worm into his life and mind.

Quickly getting out of the bed and straightening her clothes, Temari said, "Let's just forget this happened, Shika. I don't think it would benefit either one of us if we brought this up again."

'I know what she's saying, but I wonder what she would do if I did bring this up again though?' Shikamaru asked himself. He was curious about her reasoning, but it was too early to deal with a pissed off Temari.

"Fine. Whatever you want." He agreed.

"No get out of my apartment so we can start training this morning." Temari commanded.

"Can't we just sleep a little while longer? I'll move to the couch?" The sleepily eyed man begged. It was before 6 in the morning.

"NO! What if someone sees you leaving my place? I should have never invited you in last night."

"Tsch, whatever. See you in a couple of hours." Shikamaru replied as he exited the apartment.

Temari lost all her gusto that she had stored up. "Damn, that was a close one." With a deep breath, she rose from her position. "Time for tea, a bath, and I'll meet that lazy man."

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A two hours later, Temari was making sure everything was set up for when Shikamaru arrived. Three of her weapons today were formal dining table with all the specialized utensils used at meetings, a specialized robe like Gaara tended to wear when he met with the other lords, and a radio for music. Shikamaru had to learn the fine dining and dancing techniques in the weird robes before they could move quickly on to the major list of do's and do not's of the mission.

The man of the hour was speechless when her arrived in the little groove where Temari had everything set up. He wondered further into groove through a bunch of tree to see Temari changing behind a make shift changing room. Quickly, he turned to the other way to give her privacy and to hid his blushing face. He'd never live down the teasing if she saw him.

Ignoring the new presence she sensed, Temari quickly finished her changing. Once she emerged from behind the make shift partition, then she threw a slight glare at the new arrival. "It's your turn now, Nara."

A fuzzy clouded his brain for the moment until her words sank in. "What! Why do I have to get changed?" Shikamaru asked as he looked at his own clothes. He was dressed in his normal shinobi outfit.

"You are not going to be able to wear that," Temari gestured to his whole figure, "when we travel or socialize with the nobles. You need to get used to moving around and being in these robes." She said as she handed him a dark blue robe with white wisp on the back.

"Clouds?" He asked suspiciously. Why would she choose clouds of all things? "Are we from a new village on this mission?"

"No, you idiot! I just thought you would appreciate the idea but apparently not, Crybaby." Temari growled. He didn't know how hard or long she looked for the right robe for him.

"Tem, what's wrong?" He noticed the scrunch between her eyebrows, which normally meant trouble for him.

"Get changed, Nara. We don't have much time to teach you everything." The blonde sand kunoichi commanded as she gave him some privacy.

A few minutes later, Shikamaru emerged looking like a new man. Temari was shocked at just how well he filled out his new outfit. The boy had definitely become a man; although, this wasn't the first time she noticed it, especially after the encounter this morning.

"Are you ready to begin?" She asked as she gestured for him to take a seat at the small table with every dinner utensil and glass present. Shikamaru nodded at Temari and took a seat.

"The first lesson is mastery of the table. You've had some experience since you are the Nara heir, but these nobles are nothing like you're used to. One mess up, and they will call you out. Hell, they may even kick you out if you insult them." Temari suggested as she watched Shikamaru gulp a little bit. She hoped that she put the fear of Kami into him.

"Temari, I know how to eat properly. Do you think I'm stupid?" He asked her.

"No, but I think you want to complete the mission. I thought my warning was enough for you! We have to complete this as a team, and my job is to make sure you competent in all areas that you'll encounter." She countered, glaring at him slightly.

Sighing, Shikamaru mumbled under his breath, "Troublesome woman," but he did as she said.

Over the past hour, Shikamaru endured lecture after lecture on why he wasn't using the utensils properly and in the correct order. He could hear her words taunting him in his mind. "Crybaby, don't use that one! You screwed up the sequence! Crybaby, watch your sleeves! Yada… yada… yada."

Temari's voice just droned on in his head until he had enough. "Temari, can we move on to something else?" He asked aggravated. Shikamaru didn't know if Temari was making his life a living hell because she wanted too or if she was really trying to help him.

With a huff, she thought long and hard for a moment, then an evil smile graced her face. "Dancing is out next objective! Are your shinobi shoes ready to show me what you can do?"

"Kami, I think she's trying to kill me today." He muttered under his breath as he rose from the table. Turning to his blonde partner, Shikamaru asked the one question he never thought to ask, "Temari, where is Choji? If I am doing this, then why isn't he?"

The woman had the gall to laugh at him. "Choji is just my escort."

"So? I am this girl's escort!" Shikamaru complained. All this was a lot of work for one unusual mission.

"No. You're Lady Kuchiki's date! This is more important than just a normal escort mission! You have to blend in, Shika. The enemy can't suspect you as a shinobi. Hell, I even have to act like a Sand noble and not kunoichi."

"Even though everyone knows who you are, you still have to have escorts for meeting with nobles?"

"Not all the time, but with these nobles I do. I have to appear as a prim and proper lady." Temari said as she tried to hide some distain in her voice. The high level noble meetings of unmarried people were tedious, especially when have the idiots wanted her to put down her fan.

"So you're telling me, Choji is just following you around even though you can protect yourself." Shikamaru didn't think about what Temari was feeling at the moment. He just thought about how Choji lucked up on his portion of the mission.

"Yes. Choji was the lucky one." Temari smiled slightly as she knew that she would not be alone in her suffering. She could endure this with her two team members by her side.

"How do I get dragged into these things?" Shikamaru asked out loud.

Taking not time to answer him, Temari told him with a laugh, "Because you're handsome and talented, Crybaby. Own up to those traits as well as your massive brain."

"Did you just complement me?" Shikamaru asked as he walked closer to Temari, backing her almost up against a tree.

"I merely stated a fact that is observed by over half the female population Konohagakure." Temari stated as she tried to back away before she became flustered, but she hit a tree. 'Damn him!' she thought. Admitting that Shikamaru was handsome already gnawed at her nerves just as much as his close proximity at the moment. It was like her brain stopped for a minute to access the situation. If anyone saw them now, the two nin would never be able to deny that they were not a couple.

Standing in front of her, Shikamaru asked, "Why are you blushing, Tem?" She remianed silent as she tried to figure a way out. If he really wanted too, Shikamaru could use shadow possession jitsu and hold her in place. Instead, he asked, "Cat got your tongue?"

"It's warm in all these clothes!" Temari fired back as she tried to wave air into her kimono. 'Maybe I should just shove him over.' She suggested to herself, but she thought better about it. Temari was a a mature adult. She could handle a little teasing. Kami knows that she hands out enough herself.

"You're from the Land of Sand, Tem. I'm not buying that…" Shikamaru countered.

"I think it's time for a break!" Temari suggested as she slid through a small gap that she didn't notice before

"What happened to our dance?" Shikamaru asked egging her own. He liked seeing this side of Temari, and he doubted very man people ever got to see this version of her.

Shocking him slightly, Temari placed a hand on his forehead. "It seems heat is getting to you too! You actually want to work! So, go take a quick nap while I set up more training and get us some water." Temari commanded before she quickly vanished as if to get more items.

"Well, what do you know, the sand nin gets nervous as well." Shikamaru said with a light laugh as he went over to a tree. A quick nap would do him wonders, but for some reason, his mind couldn't help but focus on his blonde friend.

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 **Thank y'all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting!**

 **Guest:** Thank you for the review! I'll try to update as soon as I can with my other on going stories!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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Chapter 4

Temari approached the sleeping Shikamaru. He looked like he had been watching clouds under the tree, but she couldn't be sure. It had taken her a little longer than she thought to set up for their dancing and partially reset her mind from their earlier "moment." Part of her just wanted to end everything for today, but then that would mean she was a coward. Temari of the Sand was anything but a coward.

"Shikamaru, wake up!" She lightly kicked his shin.

The black haired young man just ignored the nagging woman as she tried to wake him up again with another nudge. Finally, Temari got the brilliant idea of getting one of their water canteens. "Shika, this is the last warning. Get up now. We have more work to do!"

He ignored her yet again, mumbling something about she was the troublesome one who wanted a break.

True, he was right, but Temari wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. With a self-satisfied smile on her face, Temari pour the water over Shikamaru's head. He quickly rose up sputtering at her.

"Dammit, Temari! What was that for?"

"I told you to get up multiple times, crybaby, and you didn't listen to me." A smirk dominated her face. Now, things were feeling back to normal.

"Women…" Shikamaru growled dried off with a towel that she handed him.

Temari just rolled her eyes and walked off while Shikamaru shook his head and followed shortly after her.

What awaited Shikamaru surprised him. He saw Temari bent over fiddling with a radio trying to find the perfect station. While he was asleep, she had set up a traditional dancing floor among an area of enclosed trees to give the two some privacy.

'What is she playing at?' He asked himself as he tried to figure out the only, well one of the only wild cards in his life. His was another of his wild cards, but Temari could rival her at times.

Once she found the perfect station, she nodded in satisfaction. The blonde turned around the see Shikamaru curiously staring at her. It seemed their little stand off earlier didn't affect her as much as he thought, which disappointed the genius for some reason.

"Are you ready?" Temari asked as she walked up to Shikamaru.

He blushed slightly at her being this close to him, but he placed a look of boredom in his head, hoping that Temari wouldn't notice. "You're the teacher here, Tem. You tell me if we are ready to begin because if not I'm going back to cloud watching." He told her.

The blonde smirked as she grabbed Shikamaru hand and placed one on her hip and the other in her hand.

"Wh…what are we doing?" Shaking his head, Shikamaru asked again. "What is the dance that we are doing?"

"Well, the first one is a waltz. It's the most traditional one so it will be used the most." She told him matter-of-factly, but inwardly, she was enjoying watching him squirm.

He gulped. Heat radiated from his hand on her waist. Being this close to Temari did weird things to his heart. "Do we have to dance this close?"

"Shika, this is supposed to be a dance of lovers. It's teasing and seductive…" She replied as she stepped even closer.

"And I have to do this with a woman I don't even know?" He asked a rhetorical question, but what really bothered him was the fact that Temari probably danced this way with numerous nobles before.

"Yes, you do. I have done this many times whether I wanted to or not." She told him with a slight frown on her face just as his suspicious were confirmed. "But at least this time I don't mind."

That little fact made Shikamaru feel better. "Will you be dancing at this meeting then?"

"If the elders have it their way, then yes." She said with a slight laugh. Shikamaru furrowed his brow. "You have to understand, Shika, that I am the Kazekage's sister and one of his most trusted advisors."

"So, they're trying to marry you off already? You're not even twenty yet."

"I'm three years older than you, crybaby. To many, I'm an old maid even if I am a powerful kunoichi, but I don't mind." She said with a laugh. Then he instantly understood her words. She'd rather marry someone of her choosing rather than anything forced on her by the elders. Temari seemingly was a master at dancing around the elders' games.

"Now, enough of this pointless talk. Let's get to dancing." She told him with a troubling smile.

Shikamaru would have ran under other circumstance, but this was for a mission, right?

Slowly, Temari made Shikamaru stand up straight and made him follow the steps of her movement. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Temari kept repeating. It didn't take Shikamaru long to learn the count or take the lead from the blonde. They were twirling and spinning… and was that a smile forming on Shikamaru's face as they twirled faster and faster?

Little did the two nin notice that they were being watched. Kakashi sat on the tree branch trying to enjoy his Icha Icha novel, but the Fifth swore that if he didn't inform her of the surprising pet project then, all of his Icha Icha collection would be destroyed. He wished that Tsunade gave him a more interesting mission, but whatever the Hokage wanted, then the Hokage got. She was one beautiful, but scary woman after all. A shiver ran down his back as he thought of Sakura taking after her sensei. Two Tsunade's running around in the world was a dangerous thing.

"Better not make it three if Temari finds out." Kakashi murmured as he disappeared once again. The Hokage would be delighted in everything that he had observed.

* * *

Day two, Temari decided to drill the major noble families into Shimamura's head. He already knew the Leaf's by heart, but what about the nobles of all the 5 nations? He had to learn these, plus any important nobles or people who would be present that had relations to the 5 kages.

This was not something that Shikamaru enjoyed. He'd rather be writing a mission report instead of looking at pictures of privileged individuals who didn't have a clue how the world worked. Sure, having Temari lead the lesson wasn't bad because he enjoyed hearing her talk, but was it worth it?

Surely, he didn't have to learn everyone. Although with his memory and intelligence, Shikamaru was sure that he could talk his way out of any question that the nobles presented him.

A few hours into their study secession, Temari noticed how bored Shikamaru looked, which was worse than normal. She knew that he'd memorize these people without any issues, so maybe a break was in order. After all, they did have to practice his socialization and flirting skills with women. Kami knew he was lacking in that area unless he was teasing her.

"I think it's time for a mini break, Crybaby. You look like you can't stay awake another minute. Maybe some tea and food will help."

"You just want some dango…" He slightly growled at her smirk, but food seemed like to be a good option for him and some tea would help wake him up.

"I want more than that, Nara. I want to see how well you flirt." Temari demanded with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"WHAT?" The black-haired man asked in shock.

"Oh, don't what me!" She scoffed at him. "I want to see how well you function outside of anyone who isn't any of the girls that you know personally."

"If I flirted with any of them, half of them would kill me then the other half would ask if I was drunk." He murmured.

"For your training secession. You will practice your flirting while finding a meal, and I'll watch with great enjoyment. Once you talked to enough women, then we'll head back and discuss what you did wrong or right."

"Do we have to?" Shikamaru whined.

"Yes. You need to be able to flirt with a noble lady like you mean it, but we'd best start out with normal kunoichi or civilians." She replied with an evil grin and dragged off towards the heart of town.

Once they were situated in the food district, Temari abandoned Shikamaru with a smile. "Hey, where are you going?" He asked.

"To get me some dango and green tea." She replied, but then something caught her attention. Kakashi was standing at a nearby leaning against a stall wall reading. "Excuse me, Nara, I have a friend I need to go speak to."

With that, Shikamaru watched Temari walk towards Kakashi, who greeted her with a smile. You couldn't see the smile, but he knew just how the older jonin's eye twinkled when something amused him.

"Hey, Kakashi!" Temari greeted the silver haired man.

"Long time, no see Temari." Nothing missed Kakashi's view as he noticed Shikamaru not participating in Temari's little training exercise. There was a scowl on the young man's face as he observed the two. Instantly understanding her reasoning, Kakashi decided to play along.

"I think you're making someone jealous." Kakashi told the blonde as he leaned towards her.

"Good. Maybe it will get his ass in gear!" She stated with an evil laugh.

"Oh?" Kakashi silently asked.

"He's in training mode right now. I'm seeing how he does with women that he doesn't know."

"You're evil, Temari."

"You're not the first who told me that!" She said with an evil laugh. Shikamaru started hard at the duo until Temari made a shooing motion with her hand.

"He's going to strangle you after this is over with." Kakashi remarked with a crinkled eye.

The blonde shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't care. "Ah, I think you better go, Kakashi. He's not going to ask anyone out when he is too busy watching us." Kakashi nodded, but Temari placed a hand on his shoulder. "Will you tell Lady Tsunade that he is doing well."

Instantly, a white poof of smoke appeared where Kakashi once stood. Inwardly, Shikamaru was relieved that he didn't feel like he had to watch out for Temari. He knew some of the jonin around town liked nothing better to flirt with the younger ladies, and she was their type. The men liked a challenge.

Temari caught Shikamaru staring at her again, and she raised a blonde eyebrow. The man finally conceded to their silent war.

Dark eyes searched the premises for a willing victim until they landed on a black-haired girl from the crypto. 'Might as well,' He thought.

* * *

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